Man Utd battle for ex-Chelsea wonderkid

Cameron Smith

• 22 Sept 2024 20:30 BST
• 4 min read

Manchester United are targeting a move for Southampton wonderkid Tyler Dibling, but they are set to face significant competition for his signature.

Dibling has burst onto the scene at St Mary’s this season and his impressive form in the English top flight has attracted significant transfer interest, according to HITC.

As per the report, he is currently being monitored by Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, in addition to Man Utd.

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The 18-year-old made just one Championship appearance last campaign, but he is now firmly a regular under Russell Martin and he has started both of Southampton’s past two Premier League matches.

Dibling won a penalty against Man Utd, which was subsequently missed by Cameron Archer, while he scored his first senior goal for Southampton during their 1-1 draw versus Ipswich Town on Saturday.

After receiving the ball from Adam Lallana inside the Ipswich penalty area, Dibling produced a sublime first touch to take the ball past Jacob Greaves and he slotted the ball into the bottom corner with effortless panache.

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Man Utd sporting director Dan Ashworth is a huge admirer of Dibling and he reportedly attempted to sign the teenager during his time at Newcastle.

After his goal against Ipswich, Southampton boss Russell Martin told Times Series: “Tyler was excellent, but we also need to bear in mind his age and be patient.

“It’s not just going to be easy and a linear path to being the best he can be.

“But he can do things that not many other players I’ve ever seen can do. I love working with him. I love watching him play.

“I would pay a lot of money to watch him play football. And, fortunately, I’m the guy that gets to work with him and try to develop him.”

Tyler Dibling at Chelsea

Although he is now back at Southampton, Dibling joined Chelsea for a reported €1.9 million in July 2022.

However, the England youth international felt like an “outsider” at the club, as per The Athletic, and he accepted a significant pay cut to return to Southampton after just one month at Stamford Bridge.

He made two appearances for Chelsea during his very short stint in west London and despite being a boyhood Blues fan, he promptly returned to Southampton.